324 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY, 



(A. Negiindo). The bark of the latter species is used to some 

 extent in medicine. Valuable timber is yielded by the maple trees. 



g. HIPPOCASTANACE^ OR BUCKEYE FAMILY. 

 The plants are shrubs or trees with opposite, petiolate, and 3- to 

 9-digitately-foliate leaves. The flowers are in terminal panicles 

 and the fruit is a 3-lobed capsule, which usually contains one 

 large, shiny seed. 



The horse-chestnut (Aisciilus Hippocastamim) contains in the 

 bark two fluorescent bitter principles, aesculin and paviin, the 

 former of which is in the nature of a glucoside, and in the bark, 

 leaves and flowers the coloring principle, quercitrin is present; 

 in the seed-coat saponin is supposed to occur, and the glucoside 

 aesculin as well. The cotyledons contain considerable starch, some 

 proteins and sugar, a small quantity of a fixed oil, and argyresin 

 to which the antihemorrhoidal action appears to be due. A 

 narcotic principle is present in the bark, twigs and leaves of the 

 red buckeye (ALscukts Pavia) of the Southern United States. 



h. SAPINDACEzE OR SOAPBERRY FAMILY. The 

 plants are mostly trees or shrubs indigenous to the Tropics. In 

 some genera there are herbaceous or woody vines (lianes). The 

 plants of this family usually have either a milky sap or contain 

 saponin, and it seems strange that a plant yielding caffeine, 

 namely, PauUinia Cnpana, which furnishes the official Guarana 

 (p. 441), should belong to this group. 



The fruit shells of Ncphcliitm lappaceuiu contain a toxic sapo- 

 nin (Ph. Weekblad., 45, i, 156, 1908). Four or five per cent. 

 of SAPONIN is found in the fruit of Sapindus trifoliatus of India. 

 A principle related to saponin is found in Sapindus Sapoiiaria of 

 tropical America. Saponin is also found in the fruits of other 

 species of Sapindus, the bark of Pometia pinnata of the Sunda 

 and .South Sea Islands, and the kernels of the seeds of the two 

 species of Magonia indigenous to Brazil. The latter plants also 

 yield a poisonous nectar and the root-bark is used in the poison- 

 ing of fish. A shellac is obtained from ScJilcichcra trijiiga of 

 India and the seeds of this plant yield "marcassa oil." 



Paidlinia Cnpana is a woody climber indigenous to and culti- 

 vated in Northern and Western Brazil. The leaves are alternate 

 and 5-foliate, the leaflets being oblong, acuminate, coarsely, irreg- 



